1. How to Write a 6.033 Design Report Mya Poe1and Chris Lesniewski-Laas2 1MIT Program in Writing and Humanistic Studies 2LCS March 2004

2. Why are you here today? 1.Proposal →report 2.Show you how a computer designer “thinks through” a design problem. 3.Explain what we look for when grading reports.

3. Why are you here today? 1.Proposal →report 2.Show you how a computer designer “thinks through” a design problem. 3.Explain what we look for when grading reports. Proposal is not the report! “A” on proposal may not = “A” on report

4. Steps in the Writing Process 1.Read comments on your proposal 2.Re-read the assignment 3.Make a priority list of design ‘fixes’ 4.“Fix” your design 5.Write design description 6.Write introduction & conclusion 7.Write front & end matter 8.Double-check design specs 9.Clarify and refine report --peer review! 10.Proofread

5. Read comments on your proposal What information was missing or unclear? What was good? Can you build off existing design or do you need to “start from the ground up”?

6. You wrote: “The master process cycles through all 1,000 cameras in a round-robin fashion, reading 2 seconds of data from each connection.”

7. You wrote: “The master process cycles through all 1,000 cameras in a round-robin fashion, reading 2 seconds of data from each connection.” TA responded: What happens if network congestion prevents a camera from responding?

8. Pipe RPC Controller Queue

9. Pipe RPC Controller Queue What code implements this structure?

10. Re-read the assignment Proposal did not address all aspects of the assignment:  What’s missing?  What about format? Document specs?  FAQ & Proposal Feedback Guide

11. Identify priorities 1.Make the system work.  Is part of the system undefined?  Can you actually build it? 2.System should continue to work under normal faults in transcoderor AI 3.Resilience to overload ΩPerformance

12. Fix your design! Identify problem ↓ Fix design ↓ Simplify design ↓ Update schematic Demo

13. Write the design description 1.Uses Apache. 2.Operates in the MP [or MT] model. 3.Spawns a new thread to handle each request; each thread pulls a response from a shared pool of images. Develop description from general to specific

14. Write the design description Use section headings to show hierarchy of ideas Chunk information into readable sections Use figures, tables, and pseudo-code to illustrate concepts Sections are organizing tool

15. Write introduction State design purpose List specific design considerations State your approach to the problem Each design problem has a consideration

16. Example 1.0 Design Overview The goal of this design is to provide... We accomplish this goal by.... We achieve fault isolation by.. Our concurrency model..

17. Write conclusion Evaluate your design! Summarize design problems you solved, Identify problems in your design, & Justify why your design does not address these problems

18. 5.0 Conclusion Our Surveillance@Home design uses processes to... This design does not cope well with long term overload because...[explain why you did not address this issue]

19. Write the front and end matter Executive Summary Title Page Title Your name ID# Recitation instructor Section time Date Acknowledgements Anyone who helped you with design  ReferencesIEEE styleStep

20. Acknowledgements Thank you to Professor Kaashoekand Chris Lesniewski-Laasfor their suggestions on achieving fault isolation. References [1] F. Cavalieri, T. Ruscio, R. Tinoco, S. Benedict, C. Davis, and P. K. Vogt, "Isolation of three new avian sarcoma viruses: ASV9, ASV17, and ASV 25," Virology, vol. 143, pp.680-683, 1985.

21. Double-check design specs Ensures that you have not missed any design specs Identify problem ↓ Fix design ↓ Simplify design ↓ Update schematic

22. Refine, clarify, & peer review Give your report to a peer for review Refine writing: Writing tutors are available to help you. DP1 graded on writing & content: 6.033 is CIM course

23. Proofreading Checklist Did you chunk information into expected sections? Executive Summary Title Page1.0 Design Overview 2.0 Design Description 3.0 Conclusion Acknowledgements References Organize by function: Fault Isolation Resource Allocation Alternatives

24. Proofreading Checklist Did you chunk information into expected sections? Executive Summary Title Page1.0 Design Overview 2.0 Design Description 3.0 Conclusion Acknowledgements References Organize by Modules

25. Proofreading Checklist Did you number the pages? is your name on every page? All figures/tables labeled & referenced in the text? All sources cited? Did you avoid: Did you proofread a printed copy? naked “this” “the reason is because.. ” “the fact that...” over-use of “I” passive voice

26. Report Format 11 or 12 point font Single-spaced No more than 5,000 words, including executive summary Submit 2 copies Not stapled—paper clipped

27. Model DP1 papers on 6.033 website Readings in your course packet Writing Center http://web.mit.edu/writinghttp://web.mit.edu/writing Mayfield Handbook of Technical and Scientific Writing Writing Help Writing Tutors available: To make an appointment online http://web.mit.edu/course/other/practicum/ www/6.033/

28. How do we grade DP1? Technical staff: 1.Is the design described unambiguously? 2.Does the design achieve design goals? 3.Are your design decisions well justified?

29. How do we grade DP1? Technical staff: 1.Is the design described unambiguously? 2.Does the design achieve design goals? 3.Are your design decisions well justified? Writing Staff: 1.Is the report well- organized within and across sections? 2.Is it professionally presented? 3.Are text and figures integrated? 4.Is the writing clear? Edited prose?